International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
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Revolutionizing Crop Production: The Imperative of Speed Breeding Technology in Modern Crop Improvement
Get PDFSpeed breeding (SB) technology is an innovative solution to shorten the breeding cycle and accelerate crop improvement. The key factors of plant growth and development, including photoperiod, light intensity and quality, temperature, relative humidity, planting density and plant nutrition are manipulated in such a way as to stimulate flowering and seed set under controlled conditions. The development of SB technology may be challenging as crops tend to vary in their response to physiological manipulations. Therefore, crop-specific optimization is highly critical to developing successful SB technology in crops. The SB technology can also be synergistically integrated with cutting edge genomics and marker-assisted selection technologies to enhance genetic gain in crop breeding programmes. In this review, various aspects concerning the science and techniques underpinning SB technology, the successful implementation of SB technology in different crops, the inherent challenges faced, and the potential opportunities to integrate SB technology with cutting-edge genomics technologies towards accelerating crop improvement are discussed
Exploring adaptation strategies for smallholder farmers in dryland farming systems and impact on pearl millet production under climate change in West Africa
Get PDFUnderstanding and identifying appropriate adaptation optons for cropping systems and management practices at spatial and temporal scales is an important prerequisite for scaling. Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L) R. Br.) could be regarded as a risk-reducing measure crop under climate change when coupled with tactical agronomic management practices. In this study, we assess the impacts of adaptation strategies such as cultivar type, planting windows, and fertilizer strategies on pearl millet production under rainfed farming systems over Nigeria and Senegal using the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) model. The impact of climate change on millet yield was evaluated using a validated APSIM-millet module that utilized yield data collected through participatory research and extension approach (PREA) in contrasting environments. The climate model projections for the mid-century period (2040–2069) were compared against a baseline period of 1980–2009 for both locations. During the simulation, two millet varieties (improved local and dual-purpose) with two sowing regimes were considered comparing traditional farmers’ sowing window (dry sowing) and agronomic sowing window (planting based on the onset of the rainfall) at three different fertilizer levels [low (23 kg N ha−1), medium (40.5 kg N ha−1), and high (68.5 kg N ha−1) respectively]. The performance of the APSIM-millet module was found to be satisfactory as indicated by the low Root Means Square Error (RMSE) and Normalized Root Mean Square Error (NRMSE) values. The range for grain yield was between 17.7% and 25.8%, while for AGB it was between 18.6% and 21.4%. The results showed that farmers’ sowing window simulated slightly higher grain yield than the agronomic sowing window for improved local millet cultivar indicating yield increased by 8–12%. However, the projected changes in the mid-century (2040–2069) resulted in a decline in yield against baseline climate for both varieties and sowing windows, indicating the negative impact of climate change (CC) on yield productivity. The comparison between dual-purpose millet and improved local millet indicates that disseminating the improved millet variety and implementing early sowing could be an effective adaptation strategy in reducing risks and losses caused by climate change. Similarly, low magnitude impacts simulated on grain yield ( −8% in Senegal) even though both locations are in the same agroecological zone
Pearl millet yield reduction by soil erosion and its recovery potential through fertilizer application on an Arenosol in the Sahel
Get PDFDespite the heightened contribution of soil erosion to soil degradation in the Sahel, its impact, particularly topsoil loss, on crop productivity remains unclear. To address this issue, we investigated the effects of simulated erosion by removing topsoil on the grain yield of pearl millet in the Sahel. Three-year field experiments conducted on an Arenosol in Niger examined different levels of topsoil removal (0, 1.0, 2.5, 5.0, and 10 cm) and fertilization (unfertilized and fertilized) on the grain yield of pearl millet. Results showed that topsoil removal of 2.5 cm or more significantly reduced grain yield, with effects projected to become apparent in 5–6 years based on erosion rates previously reported. Under normal rainfall conditions in the first and third years, 2.5-cm topsoil removal under unfertilized conditions resulted in a yield reduction of 37 % cm⁻¹, surpassing the values reported in other humid to semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa. Conversely, the grain yield remained unaffected following a 1-cm topsoil removal. Fertilizer application compensated for the grain yield loss in the plots of 2.5- and 5.0-cm topsoil removal but not effectively in the 10-cm removal plot. In conclusion, the loss of the thin Ap horizon markedly reduced plant-available water and nutrients in soils, leading to a decreased grain yield of pearl millet in the Sahel. Given the Ap horizon thinness and soil erosion prevalence in the Sahel, recognizing the topsoil loss in the early stages of soil erosion and implementing countermeasures are imperative to avoid a sharp decline in grain yield
Trait preferences of sorghum and pearl millet value chain actors in Mali and Burkina Faso: a case for gender- responsive and demand-driven breeding
No full textSorghum and pearl millet have adapted to the socioecological environment in the dryland of West Africa and have been the staple crops for many years. Engaging key stakeholders and improving the sorghum and pearl millet breeding process is essential to addressing the evolving demands of end-users and environmental conditions. Unlike most trait preference studies focusing on men and women farmers’ trait choices, we examined sorghum and pearl millet key value chain actors (VCA), including producers, processors, traders, and consumers. We identified their preferred traits of varieties that need to be mainstreamed into the breeding pipelines. Drawing on the past efforts and experiences of the sorghum and pearl millet breeding programs from the last 30 years, the study was designed to integrate gender equality in sorghum and pearl millet breeding decisions and traits prioritization in West Africa. This process was implemented in phases, leading to the drafting of gender-responsive and client-oriented product profiles. The paper elicited an understanding of how the roles and interests of sorghum and pearl millet VCA influence their varietal choice and adoption decisions. The study found both differences and similarities in the trait preferences of the men and women VCA. Most women, mainly in the production and processing nodes, prefer varieties with specific food and grain quality traits, while men prioritize grain yield and biotic stress resistance traits. Even though both men’s and women’s varietal choices align with their roles in production and consumption, grain yield was commonly desired across gender, crop, and value chain segments. The findings revealed that the gendered interest of actors in the crops’ value chain determines their choice of variety. Gender responsiveness requires identifying and understanding the needs and choices of the sorghum and millet VCA and mainstreaming these into the breeding pipeline. The approach employed in the study elicits the understanding, roles, and interests of the various actors and how these factors influence men’s and women’s decisions to adopt a crop variety. All major stakeholders should co-develop product profiles for the variety being developed to enable co-ownership, increase adoption, and improve gender equity in agricultural technology development and deployment
Genetic dissection of thousand-seed weight in linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) using multi-locus genome-wide association study
No full textFlaxseed/linseed is an important oilseed crop having applications in the food, nutraceutical, and paint industry. Seed weight is one of the most crucial determinants of seed yield in linseed. Here, quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) associated with thousand-seed weight (TSW) have been identified using multi-locus genome-wide association study (ML-GWAS). Field evaluation was carried out in five environments in multi-year-location trials. SNP genotyping information of the AM panel of 131 accessions comprising 68,925 SNPs was employed for ML-GWAS. From the six ML-GWAS methods employed, five methods helped identify a total of 84 unique significant QTNs for TSW. QTNs identified in ≥ 2 methods/environments were designated as stable QTNs.
Accordingly, 30 stable QTNs have been identified for TSW accounting up to 38.65% trait variation. Alleles with positive effect on trait were analyzed for 12 strong QTNs with r2 ≥ 10.00%, which showed significant association of specific alleles with higher trait value in three or more environments. A total of 23 candidate genes have been identified for TSW, which included B3 domaincontaining
transcription factor, SUMO-activating enzyme, protein SCARECROW, shaggy-related protein kinase/BIN2, ANTIAUXIN-RESISTANT 3, RING-type E3 ubiquitin transferase E4, auxin response factors, WRKY transcription factor, and CBS domain-containing protein. In silico expression analysis of candidate genes was performed to validate their possible role in different stages of seed development process. The results from this study provide significant insight and elevate our understanding on genetic architecture of TSW trait in linseed
Analyzing gender differentials in dietary diversity across urban and peri-urban areas of Hyderabad, India
Get PDFBackground: India’s recent increase in urbanization alongside with feminization of rural agriculture could increase the existing gender disparities in dietary diversity. With many rural men migrating to urban areas, women have increased domestic burdens as well as productive burdens such as making informed crop production decisions so household members consume a diverse diet. Given the rapid and recent onset of this phenomenon, there is a need to explore gender differentials in diet diversity across urban and rural areas to assess if certain populations are being disproportionately impacted by this trend. There are limited established quantitative studies discussing this gender disparity with respect to urbanization. Therefore, this paper compares dietary diversity among adult men, adult women, adolescent males, and adolescent females in urban and peri-urban locations. The authors also assess if various sociodemographic factors correlate with dietary diversity.
Methods
Analyses were conducted on dietary diversity data collected by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) from selected urban (1108 individuals) and peri-urban (808 individuals) locations of Hyderabad, India. The total sample size of the population is n = 1816: 660 adult males, 662 adult females, 205 adolescent males, and 289 adolescent females.
Results
Adult women and adolescent females have a higher diet disparity between peri-urban and urban areas when compared to adult males and adolescent males. Multivariate analyses followed by post hoc multiple comparisons testing further support that peri-urban adult women consume a less diverse diet compared to their urban counterparts and less than other peri-urban adult men and adolescent women. It was also found that marital status, type of household card owned, and the highest degree of education are statistically significant correlators of an individual’s dietary diversity.
Conclusions
Given that urbanization could negatively impact already vulnerable populations such as peri-urban adult women, who play a key role in children’s nutrition, it is important to provide support to these populations. This paper suggests it is possible to do so through government subsidization of peri-urban farmers to grow more diverse crops, fortifying easily accessible foods with commonly lacking micronutrients, including Vitamin A, folic acid, and iron, market access, and affordable prices
Plant genome resequencing and population genomics: Current status and future prospects
Get PDFAdvances in DNA sequencing technology have sparked a genomics revolution, driving breakthroughs in plant genetics and crop breeding. Recently, the focus has shifted from cataloging genetic diversity in plants to exploring their functional significance and delivering beneficial alleles for crop improvement. This transformation has been facilitated by the increasing adoption of whole-genome resequencing. In this review, we summarize the current progress of population-based genome resequencing studies and how these studies affect crop breeding. A total of 187 land plants from 163 countries have been resequenced, comprising 54 413 accessions. As part of resequencing efforts 367 traits have been surveyed and 86 genome-wide association studies have been conducted. Economically important crops, particularly cereals, vegetables, and legumes, have dominated the resequencing efforts, leaving a gap in 49 orders, including Lycopodiales, Liliales, Acorales, Austrobaileyales, and Commelinales. The resequenced germplasm is distributed across diverse geographic locations, providing a global perspective on plant genomics.
We highlight genes that have been selected during domestication, or associated with agronomic traits, and form a repository of candidate genes for future research and application. Despite the opportunities for cross-species comparative genomics, many population genomic datasets are not accessible, impeding secondary analyses. We call for a more open and collaborative approach to population genomics that promotes data sharing and encourages contribution-based credit policy. The number of plant genome resequencing studies will continue to rise with the decreasing DNA sequencing costs, coupled with advances in analysis and computational technologies. This expansion, in terms of both scale and quality, holds promise for deeper insights into plant trait genetics and breeding design
Detailed genomic and biochemical characterization and plant growth promoting properties of an arsenic-tolerant isolate of Bacillus pacificus from contaminated groundwater of West Bengal, India
No full textIn this study, arsenic tolerating bacteria Bacillus pacificus (AKS1a) was isolated from arsenic contaminated groundwater of Purbasthali, Purba Bardhaman, West Bengal, India and its bioremediation potential was preliminary screened. This multimetal resistant strain was able to grow against more than 20 mM arsenate and 10 mM arsenite salts. The genome was more than 5.16 Mb in length, with an average of around 35.2% GC content, bearing 5403 protein coding genes. Arsenic resistant genes like arsC, arsB, arsR, etc. were also identified. Rapid Annotation using Subsystem Technology (RAST) identified 328 subsystems within the genome. Presence of six Genomic Islands (GIs) and five phage virus genomic parts indicated its ecological adaptations to overcome environmental stresses. The production of about 415 μg mL−1 indole acetic acid (IAA), 258.0 μg mL−1 gibberellic acid (GA), and 183 μg mL−1 proline by the bacterium, along with nitrogen fixation ability under in-vitro conditions, indicate its plant growth promoting potential. This was further confirmed through rice seedling growth enhancement under arsenic stress. Beside arsenite oxidation to arsenate, its arsenic adsorption property was confirmed through X-ray Fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopic (EDS) analysis. Genomic comparisons among 25 different strains of B. pacificus showed that there are tremendous genetic differences in respect to their accessory genome content. In future, this strain can be applied as biofertilizer or biostimulant for improving rice plant growth
Understanding the Determinants of Aspirations in Rural Tanzania: Does Financial Literacy Matter?
Get PDFAspirations have recently received increased attention in the analysis of poverty and its dynamics. The argument is that aspirations provide reference points for individuals’ forward-looking decisions and behaviours. Understanding of what determines aspirations is vitally important to design development interventions that can raise aspirations. In this paper, we analyse whether financial literacy is associated with individuals’ aspirations. Using data from more than 2000 Tanzanian households, we find a robust positive correlation between financial literacy and aspirations. Our results are robust to using alternative financial literacy measure, controlling for extensive covariates and non-cognitive traits, and sensitivity analyses to omitted variables. Overall, our findings suggest that aspirations could be influenced to improve poor individuals’ future investments and forward-looking behaviour
Delving into the lifestyle of Sundarban Wetland resident, biofilm producing, halotolerant Salinicoccus roseus: a comparative genomics-based intervention
Get PDFBackground
Microbial community played an essential role in ecosystem processes, be it mangrove wetland or other intertidal ecologies. Several enzymatic activities like hydrolases are effective ecological indicators of soil microbial function. So far, little is known on halophilic bacterial contribution and function on a genomic viewpoint of Indian Sundarban Wetland. Considering the above mentioned issues, the aims of this study was to understand the life style, metabolic functionalities and genomic features of the isolated bacterium, Salinicoccus roseus strain RF1H. A comparative genome-based study of S. roseus has not been reported yet. Henceforth, we have considered the inclusion of the intra-species genome comparison of S. roseus to gain insight into the high degree of variation in the genome of strain RF1H among others.
Results
Salinicoccus roseus strain RF1H is a pink-red pigmented, Gram-positive and non-motile cocci. The bacterium exhibited high salt tolerance (up to 15% NaCl), antibiotic resistance, biofilm formation and secretion of extracellular hydrolytic enzymes. The circular genome was approximately 2.62978 Mb in size, encoding 574 predicted genes with GC content 49.5%. Presence of genomic elements (prophages, transposable elements, CRISPR-Cas system) represented bacterial virulence and multidrug-resistance. Furthermore, genes associated with salt tolerance, temperature adaptation and DNA repair system were distributed in 17 genomic islands. Genes related to hydrocarbon degradation manifested metabolic capability of the bacterium for potential biotechnological applications. A comparative pangenome analysis revealed two-component response regulator, modified C4-dicarboxylate transport system and osmotic stress regulated ATP-binding proteins. Presence of genes encoding arginine decarboxylase (ADC) enzyme being involved in biofilm formation was reported from the genome. In silico study revealed the protein is thermostable and made up with ~ 415 amino acids, and hydrophilic in nature. Three motifs appeared to be evolutionary conserved in all Salinicoccus sequences.
Conclusion
The first report of whole genome analysis of Salinicoccus roseus strain RF1H provided information of metabolic functionalities, biofilm formation, resistance mechanism and adaptation strategies to thrive in climate-change induced vulnerable spot like Sundarban. Comparative genome analysis highlighted the unique genome content that contributed the strain’s adaptability. The biomolecules produced during metabolism are important sources of compounds with potential beneficial applications in pharmaceuticals